Ready to Shut Up & Write (said with love)
Four sanctioned Shut Up & Write!® groups meet weekly across the Valley. Their goal: help authors get words written, find community, and learn. Read on for more about the national group’s philosophy and an overview of the thriving Arizona-local chapters.
Written by Lynzie Allen
Shut up and write.
Sure, that sounds like harsh advice, especially given how varied writer’s experiences are. Someone who started writing yesterday is going to take that advice differently than someone who has been writing for decades. But both of those hypothetical writers (or any others) can find help to get words down on the screen or page when they do just that: shut up and write.
Writing Together Combats Loneliness
The thing is, writing is lonely. It comes with blocks, imposter syndrome, and sometimes screaming, “I don’t know what words are!” at the top of your lungs. Surrounding yourself with others who get how difficult writing is, who will cheer you on when the going is tough and when it’s great, is one of the best ways to meet your writing goals.
Writing groups are an immensely helpful tool in every writer’s toolbox. Having a group you meet with at a set time, outside of your house or virtual, helps to make the act of writing a habit. No matter if your goal is to journal to work through the chaos of life, to rewrite that chapter your editor said wasn’t working, or to draft a short story that’s been floating around in your head, accountability is crucial to meeting goals.
Shut Up & Write, an International Organization
Enter Shut Up& Write! ®, the brain child of San Francisco science fiction writer Rennie Saunders. Rennie struggled to sustain a writing practice while balancing work and life. He decided to test a simple idea: commit to writing for a set amount of time, alongside others, no hierarchy, no critique. One rule: shut up and write.
Today, the nonprofit writing initiative has 500+ physical groups worldwide, according to their latest map. It’s a global community, meaning you can often find an SU&W group to join when you travel.
Shut Up & Write, Arizona Style
Thankfully, four of those groups are right here in the valley, each one hosted by an area author passionate about writing. Each host has also gone through SU&W’s training and certification program. Hosts spend time and energy managing the group, meetup events, planning learning activities (optional) and running online communities like Discord groups so folks can stay connected.
Join Us – We’re Not Scary At All
Trying something new is hard—this coming from someone with insane social anxiety. But when you have some idea of what you’re walking into, it can take a lot of pressure off. So hi, I’m Lynze, cohost of the Gilbert SU&W group. And I can tell you we’ve ALL felt the way a nervous newcomer does that first time.
The scariest part of coming to one of our groups is showing up. So many people come for the first time, write with us, and by the end can’t believe how much they got done. There’s something about knowing everyone in the room is doing the “same” thing (writing). There’s also something freeing in knowing you won’t be asked to share your work. For us, whether you wrote one word or one thousand words, it’s a win. I leave group most weeks with a near adrenaline rush, no matter how much I got done, because I GOT TO HANG OUT WITH OTHER WRITERS! But maybe that’s just me. (Editor’s Note: It’s not just her, we feel the same way!).
Here’s what to expect at an SU&W Group:
You should be able to spot the SU&W logo on a sign at the venue
You’ll be greeted by a host
There will be focused writing time, at minimum one hour
Afterwards will be optional group discussion and check in
Group Personality – Icing on the Cake
Because people are wonderfully diverse, each SU&W group has its own personality, often driven by the host(s). Here’s the behind the scenes about existing AZ groups:
Central Phoenix Shut Up & Write!
Meets Wednesdays from 10am to 12pm in person
First Draft Book Bar inside Changing Hands on Camelback
$5 session cost to help cover the private room
Group vibe: Diverse, engaged, and supportive. Starta and ends on time, but sometimes continues practice and conversation in the coffee shop. Holds craft exercises about twice a month, alternating with writer check-ins and extended sprints.
Host: Garell Jordan
A native Chicagoan (and major Blackhawks fan), Garell has lived in Arizona for 30 years. She writes short form fiction, as Jordan Beckett, across multiple genres, but her recurring fascination is with the messy glory of what it means to be human. For a peek into her process and storytelling, check out her author site, Jordan Writes Stuff.
Glendale Shut Up & Write!
Meets Tuesdays at 10:30am in person
No fee
Group vibe: A safe space and connection to a great group of people having the same challenges as you. Their goal is to inspire, motivate, or relate their experiences to further the writing journey.
Host: Derek Barton
Born in Northeast Indiana, Derek moved to Phoenix in 1996 and married his wonderful wife in 2012. Derek has currently written and published twenty horror and epic fantasy novels on Amazon. He shares advice for authors on his website and also gives workshops at the local bookstore.
Gilbert Shut Up & Write!
Meets Sundays at 5:30pm
Starbucks at Val Vista & Mercy in Gilbert
No fee
Group vibe: Diverse in every way imaginable, this group openly shares opportunities to learn from each other. A large group, the room is limited so sometimes there’s a waitlist. Writing time lasts between 1 to 1.5 hours. Optional monthly topics guide conversations, exercises, and presentations.
Hosts: Lynzie Allen and group founder Lisa LeCarre
Lynzie Allen has lived in Arizona (off and on) for 20 years despite the heat. She’s only an outdoor girl if you promise there’s paddle boarding. Otherwise, she’s an indoor girl through and through, preferring to read, write, and play video games in her time—free or otherwise. She earned her B.A. in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University. She’s finishing the first draft of her eighth contemporary romance novel.
Mesa Shut Up & Write!
Meets Tuesdays at 5:30pm
Village Square at Dana Park in the Barnes & Noble, the café area
No fee
Group vibe: A newer group, this gathering is smaller but in no way less dedicated. Excited to grow, this group of writers includes all types of authors.
Host: Sandy Larson
Author Sandy is writing a memoir about traumatic grief. Her story is part of a larger narrative of violence against women and those left behind who loved them. Sandy has been an active member of various writers group, and knows first-hand the power of sitting with other writers to create.
Ready to Shut Up & Write?
If you’re looking for a writing accountability group, give the Arizona Shut Up & Write chapters a try. Their amazing volunteers combined with the SU&W philosophy may be just the thing you need to help you get words down. You can find all of the AZ SU&W meetups on their shared account here: https://www.meetup.com/shutupandwritephoenixaz/. Be sure to RSVP! And, if there isn’t a group in AZ that meets at a time that works for you, why not consider starting your own? And happy writing.
ABOUT LYNZIE ALLEN
ARIZONA INDIE AUTHOR LYNZIE ALLEN WRITES CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE TALES THAT FEEL LIKE REAL LIFE … WITH ALL THE DIRTY DETAILS. SHE’S WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED MORE THAN A DOZEN BOOKS (SO FAR). A WILD FAN OF HELPING OTHER AUTHORS GROW, LYNZIE SHARES HER WEALTH OF HANDS-ON PUBLISHING KNOWLEDGE FREELY WITH AREA WRITERS. YOU’LL FIND HER AT BOOK AND AUTHOR FESTIVALS AROUND THE STATE. MEET HER IN PERSON AT GILBERT’S WEEKLY SHUT UP & WRITE CHAPTER, WHICH SHE HOSTS.